I Still Want You
by RushingAutumnLeaves
Summary: When wandering in a familiar part of town, Emmett stumbles upon a long-forgotten timeline. When examining the timeline, Emmett remembers some long-hidden memories. Written in Response to 'It Hurts to Wait With Love if Love is Somewhere Else'. Contains very mild spoilers.


_Hey, I'm going to be in KC for a few days for some great photo opportunities! Maybe we could finally meet? Xx- Mandy_

Emmett reread the text a million times as he walked down the streets. He'd picked his spot carefully; the perfect spot for getting a few pictures of the less glamorous side of the city. He'd locked his bike up securely a few blocks away and was walking towards the spot he had picked out when something caught his eye.

**First Meet: June 2011**

Somehow, it seemed familiar. He changed course, walking in the direction of the two pairs of staring eyes. Suddenly, it all came back to him. His timeline. The one he had made for Bay, back when he was so set on winning her back. It was slightly faded from daily ware, but nobody had tagged it. They had respected it. Maybe they were waiting for him to add another event. He reached up and touched the 'N' in 'June'.

'Who's that?_' Emmett signed to Daphne, staring at the stranger standing a few feet away. Her wavy black hair caught the sunlight perfectly and, even though she was most likely hearing (judging by the way she was watching them sign in confusion), she was beautiful._

'Me_,' Daphne signed back. '_In another life_.' Emmett put his helmet on, the image of the girl going dark. She was still visible, however, as he revved his engine and sped away, Daphne's arms wrapping around his waist._

Emmett smiled at the memory. The first time he'd ever really _met_ Bay hadn't been till later, of course, but that was the first time they'd seen each other. The first time he'd started to wonder if maybe he was wasting his time on Daphne. He continued down the timeline, pausing at the second event he'd recorded.

**First Kiss: September 2011**

'I like you._' Emmett signed. Bay seemed confused. Either she didn't understand the signs, or she didn't understand what he was saying. Emmett figured there was only one way to really let her know. He kissed her. It wasn't a long kiss, but it was enough for him to convey his message. He pulled away and smiled. Bay hadn't resisted the kiss, but she still seemed confused._

_Emmett walked away that day, his mind racing. He didn't regret kissing her. He liked her. The question was if she liked him or not. She had seemed like she did. She hadn't rejected his kiss, but the question still remained: would she reject him?_

The memory associated with their first kiss had been one of Emmett's favourites. The genuine concern that Bay didn't feel the same way had eaten at him since the second he kissed her. He chuckled under his breath, moving on to the next event on his timeline.

**First Birthday Surprise: October 2011**

That one was a less-than-happy memory. Seeing the smile on Bay's face as she saw what he'd done had been beyond words, but the arrest he could have done without.

_Bay's eyes lit up as she saw her birthday present. _

"_You did that?" Bay asked, signing as she spoke. Emmett smiled and nodded, opening his arms as Bay leaned in to hug him. It had been hard, doing it alone, but seeing Bay's face now, he knew it was worth it. _

"_This is badass." Bay laughed, showing off the new sign he had taught her earlier. He agreed with her, Daphne creeping into his thoughts. He knew that a better birthday present would have included telling Daphne the truth. He knew Bay didn't like hiding it from her. He apologized, but Bay shook it off._

"_Maybe it's better coming from me." She said with a hint of a shrug. Emmett didn't argue. He took Bay in his arms and they admired his handiwork in serene silence._

Emmett rubbed his wrists. The pain from the handcuffs had stopped hurting long ago, but when he thought of it, the pain came back. He hurried to his next event, hoping it was a happier memory than being arrested.

**First "I Love You": February 2011**

It was a much, much happier memory, at least, where Bay was concerned. His parents were breaking up for good, and he remembered how hurt, confused, and upset he had been. But Bay had been there for him. Bay was always there for him, when he needed it most.

'My mom and dad were in love. Now they aren't. How does that even happen? Does it always happen? Are we going to fall out of love?'_ Emmett realized what he signed before he signed it. He knew how Bay would take it, but he didn't care. She deserved to know that he loved her. _

"_Did you just say…?" Bay trailed off, trying to change topic, but Emmett didn't pay attention. _

'Did I say what?'

"_Did you just say 'are we going to fall out of love'? Meaning we are currently…" Bay paused, looking to Emmett to finish the sentence. Emmett didn't care if Bay loved him back. She needed to know._

'I am.'_ Was she in love with him too? He watched her, awaiting her answer. He appeared calm on the outside, but inside, he was shaking._

"_Me too." _

The kiss that had followed had been, in Emmett's opinion, the best kiss of their relationship. Because that kiss was equal grounds. She loved him, and he loved her. Emmett almost didn't want to go on to the next event. He knew what came next.

**Emmett makes a mistake. **

_It felt wrong, telling her now. She was enjoying herself. She was dancing, and having fun. But Emmett had made a promise to himself. He had to tell her. If he postponed it any longer, it would just make things worse._

_Bay followed him outside, speaking rapidly. Emmett didn't listen to any of it. He couldn't. He had to plan what he would say._

'I…_' he signed, looking for words. He sat down, starting over, and again, only getting as far as 'I'. _

"_What's going on?" Bay asked. He couldn't hear her voice, but she looked concerned. It had to be now._

'I made a mistake.'

"_A mistake? What happened? Whatever it is, we can fix it." She didn't know it, but she had just hurt him more than she could have if she'd just left. He knew they couldn't fix it. He couldn't take back what he'd done. He couldn't undo it. He could feel tears forming. He was going to cry over Bay, again. He signed everything, telling her what he'd done. The pain of hurting her struck him with each word. She was about to cry now too. _

"_Is this a joke?" Emmett didn't pay attention to the rest of it. He wished he could tell her he was lying. He wished he could tell her he hadn't done anything with anyone. But she needed to hear the truth._

_At first, she suggested Daphne. Emmett was quick to tell her it wasn't Daphne. He hadn't slept with Daphne. Not that it made it any better._

"_Emmett!" He didn't need to hear to know she was yelling. Her eyes were red and she was on the verge of tears. He squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't look at her. Not right now. He began to spell._

'S-I-M-O-N-E.'

It had happened a year ago, but Emmett could feel the pain that had come when Bay had left him there that night. He remembered the pained look in her eyes so vividly, it could have happened yesterday. He had to turn the corner to get to the next event, not wanting to stare at the broken heart he had painted on the wall.

**Bay forgives Emmett.**

Had it counted as forgiving him, what she'd done the other day? Kissing him meant forgiveness, in a way. She'd wanted him back. He had wanted her back, but he couldn't allow it to happen. Not with Mandy in the picture.

But she had forgiven him. She'd apologized for kissing him. She'd apologized for holding the cheating thing over his head. She'd even gotten him pictures since she'd busted his camera. That meant the only thing left was…

**Bay and Emmett Forever.**

He touched the fading red paint. The heart still held their initials and Emmett remembered a different day, when they'd first gotten together. It had been after their first fight.

'_I've never been comfortable around hearing people. I haven't been around them much. But with you, it was different. From the beginning, you weren't hearing or deaf, you were just Bay. The truth is, it would be easier if I could just go find a deaf Bay. But I don't want a deaf Bay.'__ He had spoken then. He'd practiced the words a million times at home, getting them perfect._

"_I…just…want…you."_

All thoughts of Mandy had left his mind. He didn't care about her. She was exactly what he didn't want. She was a deaf Bay.

_**~XoXo~**_

Emmett knocked on the door of Bay's garage. She was sitting there, her back facing him, working on another piece. She turned around, a confused smile on her face.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were meeting Mandy today?"

'_I don't want to meet Mandy._' He signed quickly. _'Do you remember what I told you last year? When we got into that fight over you being hearing?'_

"Yeah, why?"

'_I told you that day that it would be easier if I just found a deaf Bay. That's what Mandy is. She's a deaf Bay. I also told you I didn't want a deaf Bay. I spoke to you, remember? The last time I spoke, I told you that I just wanted you. This time, I'm saying…' _Emmett inhaled. These words weren't practiced. They hadn't been chanted over and over, to come out just right.

"I…still…want…you." He cupped Bay's face in his hands and pulled her forward, placing his lips against hers. She pulled away after ten long seconds, a smile on her face.

"I still want you too."


End file.
